Improvement in hydrants



Cidade 9 were SOLOMON TICE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

i Letters Patent No. 84,848, (lated December-8, 1868.

IMPROV'EMENT IN HYDRANTS.

To all whom 'it m'a/y concern Be it known that I, SOLOMON Tlcn,.ofCincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Hydrants; and do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof; reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specication.

This invention relates to that class of hydrants or fire-plugs in whichthe valve is maintained in its closed position by the pressure of waterin thc main; and' My improvement consists in arranging theoperating-parts in such a manner that said valve shall close verygradually when the hydrant is shut oif, thereby increasing thedurability of theY apparatus, without adding to the cost of the same.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l 'is an axial section of myimproved hydrant, with the valve in its depressed or open position.

Figure 2 is a similar section, with the valve closed, and the waste-wayopened.

A represents a cylinder,'that is open at both ends, and which ispierced, near its bottom, with a series of apertures, a, andsaidcylinder is screwed into the upper end of a chamber, B, the latterhaving attached to it the customary inlet and discharge-pipes C D.

The lower end of the cylinder A-is provided with a collar, E, and aange, F, the latter serving as the valve-seat, while the former acts tocompress a packing, G, between it and the shoulder b of the cylinder,thereby forming a water-tight joint between said chamber and cylinder,

Projecting outwardly from the upper part of the cylinder A are two lugs,H H', which permit said cylinder to be unsere-.wed 4from the chamber B,by simply inserting a suitable key or wrench down the stock of thehydrant, and engaging it with said lugs..

The upper portion of cylinder A is also provided with a waste-way, I. pSituated centrally within the cylinder and chamber Ais a stem, K, havinga lower screw-threaded portion, It, and an upper screw-threaded one,le', and also two collars, J J

'Secured between the upper collar J' and the connection L is a plunger,M, which consists of a number ofl disks, of leather or.other suitablematerial,V

which areadapted to t snugly within the cylinder A. One or more of theupper disks are somewhat increased in diameter,.as shown at an, so as tocompletely close the upper end of the cylinder A, when the plunger-isdepressed and the valve'opened.

Secured between the lower collar J and the nut N is another series ofleather disks, O, which constitute the valve proper, and this valve issomewhat larger than the plunger M, so as to permit of its traversingthe chamber B.

Communication between the inlet-pipe C and the bottom of the chamber B,is effected by a small passage, P, which permits of the waterilowinginto and out of said chamber.

Itv is the rod, by which the stem K, and its accom- .panying plunger M,and valve O are elevated or depressed, and said rod may be operated by acam, screw,A

-the hydrant-stock, in the following manner:

Projecting from the chamber B is a ilange, b', which is seated within asuitable recess in the base, S, and the sides of said recess lare.under-cut, as shown at s, and when lead or cement, T, is poured intosaid recess, the Tchamber becomes iirmly anchored in the base.

The operation of my hydrant is as follows:

When the hydrant is shut off, the valve O bears against the flange F,andv also closes the inner end of the pipe G, thereby effectuallypreventing the entrance of water into the cylinder A.

As the chamber B communicates with the inletpipe C, by means of thepassage P, said chamber is slowly lilled with water, which,pressing'aga-inst the bottoni ofthe valve O, assists in maintaining itin its closed condition.

l.lo turn the water on, it is only necessary to depress the rod R, bywhich act' the stem K, plunger M, and valve O, are carried along withit, and as soon as said valve is released from its seat,and uncovers theend of the inlet-pipe O, the water flows into the lower open end of thecylinder A, thence out of the same, through the aperturea, and up thedischargepipe D, as indicated by the red arrows in iig. l.

In the act of depressing the valve O, the water beneath it'in thechamber B is forced out through the passage Pinto the inlet-pipe O.

When the hydrant is turned on, the water is prevented from escaping atthe upper end of the cylinder A, by mea-ns of the tightly-fittingplunger M, and the disks m, the latter of which bear aga-inst the Yupperend of said cylinder.

In shutting off thehydrant, the stem K, plunger M, and valve O, are'elevated, so as to bring said valve in contact with its Vseat F, whichelevation can only be effected very slowly on account of the passage Pwire-drawing the water as it flows into the chamber B, to supply thevacuum caused by the ascension of said valve, and in opening 'the valve,the small passage P is againA useful by providing, an escape for thewater below the plunger, so as to permit the latter to descend.

Vhen the hydrant is shut ofi', the waste-way I is opened, so as topermit the water contained in the discharge-pipe D to escape, andthereby prevent the apparatus freezing up in winter.

It will be seen that the water is shut off from my hydrant at twoplaces, both at the inner end of then pipe C, and also at the seat F,thereby diminishing the chances of leakage; and as the valve O bearsdirectly against said seat, and without any rotating or grinding-action,it will last for a long time. j

The operating-parts of the hydrant can be removed in a few minutes byinserting a wrench down the stock and engaging it -With the lugs H H',in such a manner that when said wrench is rotated, the cylinder A willbe unserewedv from vthe chambei` B, after which said cylinder, togetherwith stern K and its access# ories, can belifted out by elevating therod R.

In the drawings, the inlet-pipe C is shown. as being connected to thechamberv B, about its mid-length, ani the passage I is represented asdescending from said 'pipe O,- but it is evident that this arrangementmay be changed so as to attach the inlet-pipenearer the bottom, and leada branch-pipe up towards the valveseat.

I claim herein as new, and of my invention- The combination,substantially as described, of the open-ended and perforated cylinder Aa, chanber B b, inlet-pipe C, discharge-pipe D, collar E, valve-seat F,packing G, stem K, plunger M m, valve 0, and contracted passage P, allsubstantially as described, and for the object explained.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

. Witnesses:

' GEO. H. KNIGHT,

J Arms H. LAYMAN s'oLoMoN Trot. t

